The present invention relates to storage/utility buildings and is characterized by provision of the safety and load bearing characteristics of building construction in a light weight, economical unit, affording additional benefits of maximum open space within the enclosure defined by the building and avoidance of condensation.
Storage/utility buildings and sheds are used to store garden tools, supplies, livestock, pets, commercial inventory, tools and the like and comprise metal panels and skeletal framing members which can be erected by experienced construction crews or sold to inexperienced homeowners and commercial customers, including farmers, in kit form for assembly by them. Such purposes are also served by buildings jerry-built of a variety of other materials including wood, tar paper, scraps of shingling, etc. The prefabricated metal units have no significant load carrying ability and are not "buildings" in a conventional sense and those buildings of other materials mentioned above often yield to the buffeting of weather in 1-3 years.
However, metal building construction for major structures has been widespread, particularly in connection with warehouses and factories over the last 20 years. Such buildings have been widely sold in the United States under various brands of the Reynolds, Kirby and Butler companies and other sources. They generally comprise shed or peak roof construction of panels tied to self-supporting walls and roof purlins which run the length of the building. Their weather resistance, durability and load carrying ability meet the perceived demands of the market. However, they are expensive.
There is a substantial gap between the low cost, low performance portable metal sheds and the expensive "constructed" metal buildings.
It is an important object of the present invention to provide an effective building structure filling that gap of demand.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a basic construction usable in all size ranges from small tool or boat sheds to barn, factory or warehouse size constructions consistent with the preceding object.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a repeatable modular unit which can be assembled with like modules to provide a desired size of building consistent with one or both of the preceding objects.
It is a further object of the invention to carry significant live loads consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a light weight, economical structure making use of readily available, readily handled materials consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.
It is a further object of the invention to avoid the need for powered venting consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.
It is a further object of the invention to inherently eliminate condensation consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.
It is a further object of the invention to maximize available internal space within a building structure consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.
It is a further object of the invention to accommodate effective insulation and/or solar heating means consistent with one or more of the preceding objects.